Bourganeuf
Encyclopedia
Bourganeuf is a commune
in the Creuse
department in the Limousin
region
in central France
.
, comprising the village and several hamlets situated in the valley of the Taurion
river, some 21 miles (33.8 km) south of Guéret, at the junction of the D8, D912, D940 and the D941.
Prince Cem
, pretender to the throne of the Ottoman Empire
, was kept prisoner here in the fifteenth century.
In 1886, the commune was the third place in all of France to be supplied with power using hydroelectricity
. Thanks to French engineer, Marcel Deprez, the waterfall
s of the river were harnessed to light up the streets, mairie, shops and cafes.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Creuse
Creuse
Creuse is a department in central France named after the Creuse River.-History:Creuse is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from the former province of La Marche....
department in the Limousin
Limousin (région)
Limousin is one of the 27 regions of France. It is composed of three départements: Corrèze, Creuse and the Haute-Vienne.Situated largely in the Massif Central, as of January 1st 2008, the Limousin comprised 740,743 inhabitants on nearly 17 000 km2, making it the second least populated region of...
region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
in central France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Geography
An area of farming and forestryForestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
, comprising the village and several hamlets situated in the valley of the Taurion
Taurion
The Taurion , as it is known in Haute-Vienne, or Thaurion, as it is known in Creuse, is a 107 km long river in western France, tributary of the Vienne river....
river, some 21 miles (33.8 km) south of Guéret, at the junction of the D8, D912, D940 and the D941.
History
The year 1103 saw the village become home to the Knights of St John, who built a castle here.Prince Cem
Cem
Prince Cem , December 22, 1459 – February 25, 1495) was a pretender to the Ottoman throne in the 15th century. He was a son of Mehmed II the Conqueror and younger brother of Sultan Bayezid II. He was banished to Europe, first under the protection of the Knights Hospitaller of St...
, pretender to the throne of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, was kept prisoner here in the fifteenth century.
In 1886, the commune was the third place in all of France to be supplied with power using hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
. Thanks to French engineer, Marcel Deprez, the waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
s of the river were harnessed to light up the streets, mairie, shops and cafes.
Population
Sights
- The church of St.Pierre, dating from the twelfth century.
- The church of St.Jean, dating from the fifteenth century.
- The remains of a 12th century castle.
- Four chapels.
- A museumMuseumA museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
of electricityElectricityElectricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
. - The archaeological museum in the Zizim(Cem) tower.
Personalities
- Martin NadaudMartin NadaudMartin Nadaud rose from being a peasant boy to becoming a revolutionary and Member of Parliament...
, politician was born in the hamlet of La Martinèche in 1815. - Thierry ArdissonThierry ArdissonThierry Ardisson , is a French television producer and host.-Bibliography:*T. Ardisson & Alain Decaux, Cinemoi*T.Ardisson & Alain Decaux, Rive droite*T.Ardisson et Alain Decaux, Louis XX*T.Ardisson, Pondichéry...
, television producerTelevision producerThe primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
and animator, was born here in 1949. - René VivianiRené VivianiJean Raphaël Adrien René Viviani was a French politician of the Third Republic, who served as Prime Minister for the first year of World War I. He was born in Sidi Bel Abbès, in French Algeria. In France he sought to protect the rights of socialists and trade union workers.-Biography:His...
, politician, was born here in 1863.